The science of rare isotopes is blooming worldwide. With the
FRIB on its way, the time has come for the HRIBF to better define
itself in a new era. Now, as we have learned about the scope of the
FRIB, we are in an excellent position to assess the unique scientific
opportunities provided by the intense ISOL beams of the HRIBF for
nuclear structure and reactions, nuclear astrophysics, and
applications of nuclear science, and to thereby promote the
complementary features the HRIBF has with the FRIB and other RIB
facilities.

To this end, the HRIBF Users Executive Committee is calling a
meeting on Friday and Saturday, November 13-14, 2009 at the Pollard
Auditorium in Oak Ridge to inform the user community about a proposed
new cyclotron driver to replace the ORIC (click
here
for a description).
The primary goal of the meeting will be to develop a
user-driven white paper that will contain a science case for a modern,
reliable ISOL facility at ORNL. This meeting will also offer an
opportunity to attract new users, especially in the context of the
envisioned future GRETINA campaign at the HRIBF.

There will be introductory talks on Friday morning about the
FRIB and various ISOL facilities. This will be followed on Friday
afternoon and evening by parallel discussion sessions in working
groups on nuclear structure (in-beam and decay), reactions,
applications, astrophysics, and ISOL technology. The discussions
should focus on the scientific strengths of HRIBF in the future FRIB
era and on the research that can be done in support of FRIB science.
The proposed HRIBF upgrade would result in new isotopic beams and an
increase in RIB intensity, so new equipment necessary to take
advantage of these improvements should also be covered in the
discussions. The format of these break-out sessions is expected to be
characterized primarily by detailed round table discussions built
around the topics specified by the conveners, with few if any formal
presentations. The conveners of these groups are being recruited from
the user community, and they will be responsible for writing their
respective sections of the white paper. In addition to the areas
mentioned above, the final document will also include sections on the
complementarity of FRIB-HRIBF science, FRIB-HRIBF instrumentation, the
worldwide context of the proposed upgrade, education and outreach, and
the relation to nuclear theory. Working groups will summarize their
findings on Saturday morning.

More details about the HRIBF Users Meeting will be communicated
via email and on the workshop's website:
http://www.phy.ornl.gov/workshops/users09/
Meanwhile, if you have questions or suggestions
concerning this meeting, please contact us. Your active participation
is very important to the future of the HRIBF and its niche of ISOL/RIB
physics in the U. S. We hope to see you there!